Hello all.

[Tennessee Tom 7]

Having the final mechanic work done on my Suzuki wagon and intend on just leaving and am gonna head west I am a ex truck driver. :shy:

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

View attachment 8822
View attachment 8822
How do you guy's feel about living out of my wagon. Just spent all kind's of money on mechanic work the car only has 97K on it new timing belt and kit,tires,and having transmission flushed this coming month and am looking for some tire chains for it. Any suggestions would welcomed.

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Tennessee47! Several forum members live out of their cars. Hopefully they will speak up and give you some feedback.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

Thank you very much for the warm welcome!!! Looking forward to learning.

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

Very well taken care of low 97K miles new timing belt kit head gasket radiator flushed new tires etc. This is what I am going too start my adventure in any feed back would help please.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forum

Sounds like your maintenance schedule is right on target.  Have you checked your A/C ?  Tires, brakes,  battery etc can be done on the road under a shade tree.   As with maintaining the fluids, wiper blades and those kinds of things.  You appear good to go.  

I figure you will be more about traveling & sleeping in your rig.  Traveling light.  You probably have a Cell & laptop
(if not a lap top you can use Libraries for a computer and WIFI)  

As long as you have a roof over your head, a place to sleep, and can get to food,  all you need to have is a list of places to go see and things to do. 

The bottom link below may help you with some of that.

Happy travels !

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

Yes eDJ I have had that thing gone completely through by a top notch auto tech. And as for phone I have verizon and the phone pairs with the lap top if i even need it.I am just bring my 4 pound dog 3 bags of clothes I am disabled and make a fair amount so I should be good to go. I know I should not leave in the winter but I need to get away from home is not home anymore after trucking all them years.

 

[eDJ_]

I once met this retired trucker a few years ago on a Walmart parking lot.  He had a big Chevy Pickup with a rather pointed top roof he had built over the bed. (something like a wall tent)  He wasn't much over 5' 2" and was walking his small dog around on a leash.  I had noticed a stove pipe extending out of one side of the roof and gave him a hail and asked him if he was traveling.  He laughed and said he was visiting this area as it had once been his home and a good friend of his was his best mechanic here and took care of his rig.   It was painted in a red primer and didn't really draw a lot of attention except for the roof.

He asked me to look at his rig and as I moved closer to the left front I could see an odometer on the left front.
That surprised me...cause that's not Pickup truck stuff.  He told me he was a widower and had built this rig special for his retirement from driving a big rig. Showed my his tiny living quarters with a small wood stove and bunk that he was very happy with.

Then he opened the hood and showed me a Perkins Diesel he had purchased new.  It was a 6 cylinder set back through the firewall.  (darn near mid engine)  I asked him if he had thought about building the front as a "tilt".  We laughed.  I noticed a plywood box with a heater fan installed into it and the hose leading into the the intake header.  He said he goes out into the Rockies in high elevations and he can switch that on from the dash to boost the air to  the engine and it is sufficient.  Doesn't need a turbo that way and can do everything else normally aspirated.   Just switch it on when he needed it and back off when done.

In the inside he had the gear shift between the two bucket seats and what looked like a "dog house" in my
Ford Econoline Van adapted to cover the back of his Perkins.  Strange looking set up to me but to him it was like driving a Big Rig which he had been doing all of his life. 

So I can understand what you're saying about the "Zen" one can find while on the Road, where the faith and devotion to the home in one's retirement just leaves you feeling trapped & stagnate.   LOL.

 

[akrvbob]

The big question is where will you put the bed? Can you sleep behind the passenger seat stretched out? If not, I'd take out the passenger seat. Bob

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

The big question is where will you put the bed? Can you sleep behind the passenger seat stretched out? If not, I'd take out the passenger seat. Bob

Yes sir the bed will fit I used a mattress from a tractor trailer and worked perfect.

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

I once met this retired trucker a few years ago on a Walmart parking lot.  He had a big Chevy Pickup with a rather pointed top roof he had built over the bed. (something like a wall tent) 

I would have liked to have seen that set up. I just need to get out there with my little dog and clear my head.

 

[Suanne]

Hi there and welcome to the forum!

I spend part of each year on the road in my Prius. If you have enough length in the back to stretch out in bed, and if you enjoy being a minimalist, then you can certainly travel and camp comfortably in your Suzuki wagon.

A few recommendations include to -- make sure your bed is comfortable, create a space to sit and lounge, and think like a backpacker when choosing your gear and food. For example, my bed is a self-inflating foam camping pad that's 3.5" thick, 28" wide and 72" long, and extremely comfortable (REI brand). I push the driver's seat fully forward and use the passenger seat behind it as my lounge area, office, changing room and bathroom. When choosing my gear, I look for items that serve more than one purpose, are lightweight and pack small. I use soft-sided bags for storage (vs. plastic containers) as they get smaller when there's less stuff in them. And, I use dehydrated and shelf-stable foods instead of keeping foods in a bulky cooler that needs to be fed ice regularly.

That's a brief overview. If you are interested in more complete information, you can go to my blog and check out the how-to articles in the right hand column (http://suanneonline.blogspot.com).

Have a great time planning ... one of my favorite things to do!

Suanne

 

[eDJ_]

Tennessee,

His rig was built on a mid to late 70's Chevy Silverado 4X4 and if I understood him correctly the front drive was disabled with the Ring Gear removed.   He didn't talk about going deep woods camping and his living quarters
didn't appear to provide for that. 

But his rusty brown primer rig set up high like a 4X4 and seemed to be his pride and joy.  I may not have mentioned that his gear shift lever appeared to have been turned around backward so he could reach the knob
comfortably.   It WAS a site to see.   And I'm sure if you ever see it you'll recognize it too.

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

I have a idea why he did his gear shift like that he was used to the way a Eaton shift feel on your hand go look up shifters Eaton 10 speed transmissions for tractor trailer trucks. It lets you drop to the next gear with just the touch of 2 fingers. Let me know if it ok to post a link to them on here and you will see.

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

 If you are interested in more complete information, you can go to my blog and check out the how-to articles in the right hand column (http://suanneonline.blogspot.com).
Suanne

Pleasure to meet you Suanne I was actually taking some pages from your book on how you had your car set up. I went through the photos on here an that is just about how I am going to do it. My lucky part is my bed will fit with the seat all the way forward I am going to use a mattress from Freightliner/big truck I found it fit perfect. As for food stuffs I had the same idea I have a healthy store of MRE's and will supplement it with some canned stuff. I will have storage space under my back seats that fold down and my lap top can go there I have a use a contract carrier for phone and it pairs with my computer. As for clothes I am pretty good a making space for them because I am a retired trucker. Thank you for the info and all the great folk giving me ideas!!

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

Found out the neutral switch for the transmission is going out today so part is ordered and going back to shop tomorrow hope this is the last kink I find in the car.

 

[Txjaybird]

Hello and welcome.  You mentioned tire chains just curious do you plan on being in ice/snow country in the winter?  I've lived in SD and KY and was lucky enough to never drive in ice and only once in a white out in SD and that was in a 4x4 full size Bronco. 

 I did manage to spin around in circles on a back country road in TX when I hit black ice.  What saved me that time was a friend and neighbor had rolled his big rig coming into the same S curve from the other end, he didn't survive the crash so I always drove slowly thru there even in the middle of summer.  My 1969 Ford pick up and I ended up in the same field where it stood up on it's right front wheel and promptly laid down on it's right side.  $47 for a tow, my mechanic checked it out,it was good to go.  Of course there was damage....The mirror cracked in the right side west coast mirror when we fell over.  It wasn't much fun climbing up off passenger door thru drivers window and jumping off the truck.  My prime motivation to move as fast as possible was the full gas tank across the back of the cab. 
                  You folks living out of cars/suvs give me hope for My Ranger 4x4 as a travelling home.  

My guardian angels have had to work O.T. to keep me safe!   :angel:    Jewellann   PS Does 4lbs= yorkie?

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

Yes gonna get some chains will be up that way in winter. I ran Chicago to Seattle down to Portland OR and back to Denver then Chicago for 20 years in a tractor trailer truck and I will have chains or cables if they even make them for car's. Oh and never once put that big truck in the median or a ditch if the passes were closed I shut it down till they were cleared.

 

[Tennessee Tom 7]

All the mechanical is done as of today now to start setting up the inside. I know it is crazy to leave in the late fall but that is my schedule because I want the savings padded a little bit.

 

[eDJ_]

The ol'Trucker's Rig looked something like this drawing.  The stove pipe came out of the right front of the roof.
I'm not sure but I don't remember his roof coming to a point as in the drawing.  Seems like it was more blunt.

Now imagine it in a primer brown like this.

When I asked him how he came to choose the customization of his drive train and choice of the Perkins,
he explained that he used to deliver in New Orleans and at this one place he could walk over and watch the
fishing boats come in each evening.  I guess all of his life being a trucker the life of Boat-Men piqued his
curiosity.  He explained that he noticed the "young buck's" were always coming in fast each evening and the
more senior fishermen putted along in slower steady rigs.  Probably noticed a similarity there with some of the young truckers.

So he went on to explain that he went on the dock when they were unloaded and cleaning up  to prep for the next day and explained himself and asked if they would tell him about their engines & transmissions etc.  He told me that they had water cooled transmissions but what impressed him was their choice of the Perkins Diesel from the UK.   These old seasoned fellows explained to him that the young guys liked speed but paid for it in down time every couple of years or so with complete tear down's and overhauls.   Said they liked the big V8's and although they were powerful, they didn't hold up.   Their Perkins 6's lasted and lasted and lasted.
They weren't as fast on the water but but they had staying power in their durability.  But Perkins wants to
examine each installation he said as they are all custom applications.  When the install is complete a Perkins rep
shows up to inspect everything before giving it his warranty blessing.    He went on to say it was the same with his old Pickup. 

When the Perkins rep showed up and saw what he had done he didn't quite know what to think but realized
that although it wasn't too conventional,  when he was told about his Big Rig driving experience that he understood he knew and understood Diesels.  The Rep pondered so much work on an older truck where the new engine was possibly four times more valuable than the vehicle. 

His set up was basically this. (engine and trans may have sit lower but this is just a rough sketch)
He never said much about his choice of transmission.  It may have been something other than the
original.